Federal Legislation for Military Mothers’ Mental Health is Progressing Through Congress
Each year, approximately 100,000 military mothers (16,000 active duty service members and 85,000 military spouses) give birth. According to a report from the Government Accountability Office, military mothers experience maternal mental health conditions at 2-3 times the rate of their civilian counterparts. An estimated 35% of active duty service members experience maternal mental health conditions and as many as 50% of mothers with deployed spouses experience postpartum depression.
To address this, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA) has been working on a policy solution to support the mental health of our nation’s military mothers: The Maintaining our Obligation to Moms who Serve Act of 2024. In January of this year, federal legislation was introduced in Congress in both the House and the Senate, and we are excited to announce that on June 14, 2024, this legislation passed out of the House in a larger package called the National Defense Authorization Act (also called the NDAA). Next, this legislation needs to make its way through the Senate.
Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, MMHLA’s Founder and Director of Policy & Partnerships, speaks to the origin of this bill: “We knew when we started our policy work back in 2015 that women who serve in the military had higher incidences of perinatal mental health complications, and we have been persistent in educating Congress about this. When it came time to find sponsors for this bill, representatives from both sides of the political aisle were willing to step up. There is a shared understanding that the health of our pregnant and postpartum military service members and spouses is a readiness issue and supporting them is the right thing to do.”
Introducing The MOMS Act: Maintaining our Obligation to Moms who Serve (MOMS) Act of 2024
The Maintaining our Obligation to Moms who Serve Act of 2024, also called The MOMS Act, will establish a 5-year pilot program within the Department of Defense to implement evidence-based programs that have been effective at preventing maternal mental health conditions.
“The MOMS Act is crucial in supporting the military’s most important asset — its people,” says Gaby Cavins, CLEC, the Executive Director of the Military Birth Resource Network & Postpartum Coalition. “Access to mental health support built into our maternity care will lessen the instances of maternal mental health conditions, but also give families the education and support to catch these conditions before they become severe.”
The MOMS Act has been sponsored by Democrat and Republican Congressional representatives: Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6), Representative Don Bacon (R-NE-2), Senator Debra Fischer (R-NE), and Senator Jean Shaheen (D-NH).
To garner more support for this bill, we included The MOMS Act on our maternal mental health Advocacy Day agenda. Over 120 advocates from across the country met with 118 Congressional offices to raise awareness about the maternal mental health disparities that military mothers experience and to request support for The MOMS Act.
One of our advocates, Tiara Flynn, a mother, Air Force Veteran, and full spectrum doula, shared her enthusiasm for this new bill: “I am excited to see The MOMS Act officially introduced in the House and Senate. I had to make the difficult choice between my military career and motherhood, so I understand the silent struggles military moms face. There’s a delicate balance between the demands of a military uniform and the emotional weight of motherhood that is often overlooked and unsupported. I’m glad that we have a bill that could provide more support to military moms.”
Multiple Factors Increase Military Mothers’ Risk of Experiencing Maternal Mental Health Conditions
Military mothers — both active duty and spouses of active duty service members — are at increased risk for mental health conditions due to circumstances unique to the military lifestyle including frequent moves, lack of social support, prolonged separations, concern for the service members safety, and the stresses of dual military relationships.
"My most difficult years as a military spouse were 2019-2021. I moved three times in one and a half years with a new baby, solo parented, navigated the pandemic, and shortly after having my second son, my husband deployed again — leaving me with a 3-month-old and a toddler. My mental health took a direct hit. How could it not?” shared Patience Riley, a licensed professional counselor at WHOA MAMA, a Mindfulness and Military Moms Support Group Leader at Postpartum Support International, and a staff member at Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color.
Women in the military are also likely to face additional barriers to accessing care due to military culture which emphasizes “service over self;” in addition to logistical challenges, such as limited transportation and childcare; limited availability of specialized mental health resources, especially while on deployment; and fear that acknowledging mental health issues or seeking care for them will negatively impact the service member’s career.
Female service members are uniquely impacted: not only do they experience stigma related to mental illness, they are also burdened by gender-based stigma. Showing emotion, being vulnerable, feeling fear, and seeking help are associated with femininity, which is in opposition to the masculinity that underlies the military.
Racial Disparities in the Military Worsen Challenges
Black and Asian/Pacific Islander women service members face additional challenges, with research showing higher rates of severe maternal morbidity. Black women service members are especially impacted, with significantly higher rates of complications and death compared to their White counterparts.
“Maternal mental health issues among women of color defies the logic of humanity,” says maternal-newborn nurse and Air Force Veteran Lakeatta Tonge, MSN, RNC-MNN. “Every human being was born of a brave woman that sacrificed her life to give life. The least we can do is give these women an equal chance to live beyond childbirth.”
Advocating for The MOMS Act Continues; More Updates to Come
As a policy advocacy organization focused on maternal mental health and racial and health equity, we are proud to have The MOMS Act as part of our Advocacy Agenda this year. We are committed to advocating for its successful passage, and we will continue to share updates as they arise. Subscribe to our newsletter here to receive policy updates and more from the maternal mental health field.
Learn More about Maternal Mental Health in the Military
Fact Sheet on Military Mothers, Veteran Women, and Maternal Mental Health
Webinar on Military Mothers and Maternal Mental Health
GAO Report on maternal mental health in the military
GAO Report on maternal mental health in the veteran population
